Postdoctoral Researcher (Engineering, Robotics)

Job summary

This position involves conducting research on autonomous drone flight in confined spaces, specifically for wind turbine inspection. The role is part of a two-year appointment at a research center focused on civilian drone technologies and applications in critical sectors.

Qualifications

• PhD degree in engineering, robotics, computer science, or a related field (or expected before start date).
• Experience in autonomous navigation, state estimation, or motion planning for robots or UAS.
• Familiarity with UAS platforms, subsystems, and payloads.
• Prototyping skills in mechanical design and systems integration.
• Knowledge of perception and machine learning for robotics.
• Proficiency in software design and development (C, C++, Python).
• Experience with UAS operations, including piloting and experiments.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and development on autonomous flight in confined environments.
• Develop state estimation and localization techniques in GNSS-denied areas.
• Implement real-time perception and motion planning for safe drone operation.
• Prototype drones and payloads for confined-space inspections.
• Integrate autonomy with inspection payloads and turbine data.
• Conduct flight testing at turbine sites and co-supervise student projects.

Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience with real-time and embedded systems.

Education

• PhD in engineering, robotics, computer science, or a related field.

Tools

• Familiarity with visual-inertial odometry (VIO), simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), and sensor fusion techniques.